Soul Mates
by Midnightsun7
Summary: Naruto is an 18 year old leaf-nin. She's clueless about love, so what happens when Sai, Kiba, and Neji all seem to take a liking to her? And then Sasuke turns up at the village just to find her? Fem Naru! Naru x Sasu, Naru x Sai, Naru x Gaara *On Hiatus*
1. Shadow Fox and Someone Unexpected

The leaves rustled in a forest just outside of Konoha. A lone ANBU darted through the air, intent on her target. She launched herself off of the tree branches with chakra- infused feet, the movement somehow coming off as graceful, like a fierce lioness stalking her prey. The fleeing missing-nin stood no chance against her, and he knew it. This ANBU, codenamed Shadow Fox, was the pride and joy of the secretive organization. Her skills exceeded most other shinobi's by far. And she was gaining on him.

The missing-nin ran as fast as he could, but it was no use. A black blur suddenly appeared in front of him, and he felt the chill of a kunai being pressed against his throat. His eyes were met with the sight of cold blue eyes, but that was all he could see behind the eerie fox mask. And then he was met with the quiet, but deadly voice of a huntress talking to her prey.

"Let this be an example to all those who dare to betray Konoha," she hissed. And then the traitor felt a sharp pain in his neck, and everything went black.

With a few quick hand signs, the black-clad kunoichi proceeded to burn the body. With her calm and calculating demeanor, not one person could even guess her true identity.

Shadow Fox then raised her fox mask to wipe the sweat from her face. Reaching for the back of her head, she released the cloth that hid her hair from view. Long, blonde locks tumbled down her back and reached her waist in a slightly erratic style that somehow suited her. With a foxy grin, Shadow Fox's cerulean blue eyes regained some of their trademark sparkle. The ANBU let out of a sigh of relief at another mission completed, and then replaced her mask and hid her hair once again.

No one **(other than the Hokage)** could know Shadow fox's true identity.

No one even suspected her of being Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Konohakagure. The sun was shining brightly on the village, caressing every surface with its comforting rays. All of the villagers seemed to be exceptionally happy and carefree on a warm, summer day like this. But, who could blame them?

Two young women relaxed on a bench, enjoying the peaceful air and laughing as they talked. One had bubblegum-pink hair that was tied in a high ponytail with long bangs framing her face. She wore a pretty red summer dress and casual sandals. The other had long, shockingly blonde hair that blew about her, free and untamed. She wore an orange dress that was slightly different from her friends and had a swirl design on the back. Both kunoichi were eighteen years old. And although both women were good-looking, the blonde one was simply gorgeous. If it weren't for the kunai that she twirled around her finger, one wouldn't have guessed that they were lethal killers.

"Naruto-chan," the pink-haired one said, "have you gotten any good missions lately?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan, a few," replied Naruto after a slight pause. "It's been relatively quiet, so nothing major." It wasn't exactly true, for she had received more than a few A and S-ranked missions, but she wasn't allowed to speak of them. Not even her good friends knew her ANBU identity, for that was considered to be top secret. Naruto really liked it that way; it was almost like being two different people. And she enjoyed it.

The two just sat there for a few moments more, in a comfortable silence, before they were interrupted.

"Naruto-chan," called a voice from behind them. Sakura flinched at the sudden appearance, but Naruto just turned her head. A dark-haired shinobi with pale lavender eyes had appeared beside the bench. It had taken Naruto years to stop feeling so creeped out when he looked at her with those blind-looking eyes, but by now she was used to them.

"Yes, Neji-kun?" Naruto asked the shinobi.

"Tsunade-sama would like to speak with you," Neji informed her in an emotionless voice. With a sigh, the blonde stood up.

"So much for my day off…" she muttered under her breath. It had been nice to have some peace and quiet for a day. However, any longer than a day, and she would have gone crazy from boredom. Although she didn't always show it anymore, Naruto was still Konoha's number one hyperactive, unpredictable ninja.

"I guess I'll see you later, Naruto-chan, Neji-kun." Sakura waved to both of them as she walked off. Neji then stepped closer to Naruto instinctively, drawn in by the happiness that always seemed to surround her. Surprised by the sudden close proximity to a cool and calm aura, Naruto glanced up at Neji. She then laughed and put a carefree hand on his shoulder. Naruto acted like this with all of her male friends, who, unknown to her, were actually jealous of each other at times because of her attention. Many people were secretly harboring a crush on Naruto. Trying hard not to blush, Neji performed a few hand seals and they both disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Sakura turned away with a smile on her face. She had been watching the two's interaction. She shook her head, thinking how sad it was that Naruto never noticed the most important things.

It wasn't exactly a secret that half of the village was in love with Naruto, and that included some of her best friends. Neji, Sai, and Kiba were all after her, but she was just clueless. The attention had started about two years ago when she turned sixteen, and since then she had been getting a lot of attention from the opposite gender. However, after their last encounter with Sasuke Uchiha two years ago, Naruto wasn't quite as carefree as she used to be. She still didn't notice the loaded looks that people sent her way. And she wouldn't have believed Sakura even if she told her.

* * *

**[In the Hokage's office]**

Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, was sitting quietly in her office. She closed her amber eyes and sighed. Her desk looked like it had been infested with paperwork, which of course, it had. She truly hated that stuff. Definitely not one of the perks of being Hokage. Tsunade ran a hand through her pale blonde hair and smoothed out her Hokage robe. She was actually deep in thought at the moment, having just sent Neji out to summon Naruto.

Suna, the Hidden Sand Village, had just sent her a message. She was pondering the best course of action when Neji and Naruto poofed into her office. Sure, she was slightly annoyed at the lack of knocking, but didn't let it get to her. When the smoke cleared, Tsunade observed Neji standing very close to Naruto. When he realized this, Neji quickly jumped a little further away, trying to conceal his slight blush.

Totally oblivious, Naruto walked up to the Hokage. "Hey baa-chan!" she said with a lazy grin, "Why did you call me? Is it a mission?" Inside, she was incredibly excited. Truthfully, these past couple of weeks had been **very** boring.

Tsunade answered with a smile of her own. She had long gotten over Naruto calling her baa-chan, and even sort of liked it. However, had it been anyone else calling her that, she would have ripped their limbs off in the most painful way possible and then fed them their own body parts. Back to more pleasant thoughts.

"Naruto-chan, I just received word from Suna. Their council would like me to send a few of our best ninja to help out with security around there. Akatsuki has supposedly been active near there, and Suna has gotten info that they may be planning an attack.

"All you need to do is to stay there with your assigned partner for about two weeks and ward off any enemy attacks. Suna's council believes that your presences and reputation alone will be enough to avoid any contact with the enemy. And due to our good relations with the Hidden Sand Village at the moment, I am inclined to accept."

Naruto took all of this in with a nod. She could be serious when she really wanted to, the Godaime gave her that.

"Okay, so who am I working with?" she asked, letting excitement color her tone. At that precise moment, Sai stepped into the office. Sai was a good friend and a fellow leaf shinobi. He had very pale skin and hair as black as the ink he was known to fight with. And, although she had no idea **(what a surprise xD)**, Sai was in love with Naruto. He met her eyes and smiled a bit too warmly, which didn't go unnoticed by the Godaime.

"Sai will be working with you. He hasn't gone out for a mission in a while either, and I'm sure you two will do well together." She smiled again. "And I already made arrangements for the two of you at a hotel in Suna. I'm sure you'll find that it's very… nice." Tsunade said all of this with a mischievous glint in her eye. Naruto was slightly confused, and looked at her questioningly, feeling like she was missing something. The Hokage only smiled wider.

Sai was ecstatic to have a mission with Naruto. Alone! Just him and Naruto for **two weeks**!!! _'This will be interesting,'_ he thought, chuckling inwardly.

"When do we leave?" Naruto asked, oblivious to Sai's constant glances her way.

"Two days. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up since it will be such a long mission and give you time to prepare yourselves."

Naruto and Sai both nodded gratefully, each super happy for their own reasons. Naruto, for a chance to finally get out of the village, and Sai, for…well…Naruto. After Tsunade dismissed them, both highly skilled leaf shinobi left her office. Naruto shouted a quick "Thanks baa-chan!" before leaving. Grinning like a madwoman to herself, Tsunade just shook her head. That had to have been the most clueless kunoichi in the world.

* * *

**[Later that night]**

Naruto, technically Shadow Fox at the moment, prowled the forest. She was once again in her ANBU outfit, and was in full stealth mode. The moon was full and hung over the trees eerily. A cloud passed over it, darkening the area, and Naruto's black ANBU uniform provided excellent cover. Of course, she didn't need that to hide. No, she could hide just as well in that hideous orange jumpsuit she used to wear in her genin days **(*shudders*)**.

The Hokage had just got word of a mysterious man who had appeared at Fire Country's border. He was supposedly a very skilled shinobi, as noted by a few ANBU who had fled just before they engaged him, to report to the village. It was a good thing they ran while they could, since nothing had been heard from the rest of their ANBU squad. Shadow Fox felt a shudder run along her spine as she prepared herself to face the intruder. This was a shudder of excitement.

Shadow Fox had highly developed senses, due to being the Kyuubi's container, and could often sense chakra signatures that were cloaked from her team. Speaking of her team, they were all in different positions around the relative location of their target. Naruto was able to pinpoint the enemy shinobi's position and quickly relayed that to her team.

"Red Wolf, the target is approaching 300 feet to your left. Adjust your position accordingly." she spoke quietly into the radio receiver.

"Yes, Shadow Fox," replied a voice that was failing miserable at sounding indifferent.

Shadow Fox rolled her eyes. Kiba **(aka Fire Wolf)** was often a little bit too eager to follow her orders on missions. Sure, he was a great ninja, but he was just too eager on missions **period**, at least for an ANBU. Naruto Uzumaki was always excited for missions. Shadow Fox accepted them with little emotion.

She was suddenly glad that she was playing as squad leader tonight, for no one else seemed to be able to sense the approaching chakra signature. Yes, this person was definitely very skilled at masking their presence. There was something slightly familiar about this person's chakra, but Naruto **(aka Shadow Fox)** didn't think about it too much. She had been many places, and felt many different chakra signatures. It was nothing to get worked up about.

"Target spotted," said a timid voice over the receiver. This was the voice of none other than Hinata Hyuuga, a strong kunoichi who had finally gotten over her stutter. She really did make a fine ANBU, now that she had gained some confidence. Although, of course, tonight she was known as White Doe.

"Target confirmed," Red Wolf said, as he too spotted the person.

Once all three of them were within sight range, Shadow Fox gave them a subtle nod and a second later all three of them vanished. No leaves even twitched, the only movement was caused by a slight breeze. It was as if the ANBU squad had never even set foot there. It was their incredible stealth that was the reason they were truly called ANBU.

A tall figure, clad in a white robe with black detailing, was running through the forest. The robe parted around his chest just enough to show his well-developed muscles. He **had **to get to Konoha before anyone stopped him. He was definitely not in the mood to deal with shinobi who wanted very dearly to kill him. However, some things just couldn't be helped.

Two black blurs suddenly appeared in front of him and stood their ground, blocking his path. _'ANBU,'_ the missing-nin thought. He really didn't want to hurt Konoha, since it wouldn't exactly look good, but if he had no other choice….

The man pulled out a sword from it's sheath on his back. The silver blade was clean and shone dimly in the waning moonlight. Too bad it would soon be dirtied with these ANBU's blood.

Brushing back his raven-colored hair, the man glared daggers at the two ANBU. He released a good amount of killer intent, and he could tell they felt it, since one of them twitched slightly. _'These ANBU are strong,'_ he thought. If they could have seen his face, they would have been able to glimpse black, obsidian eyes beginning to glow red. As the missing-nin was about to engage these two shinobi, he felt something pressed up against his neck. Warm liquid seeped from the small cut on his neck. He was slightly shocked at the kunai pressed up against his neck. _'They're good.'_

While Red Wolf and White Doe distracted the invader, Shadow Fox had managed to silently sneak up behind him and hold a kunai to his neck. Her stealth was superior to almost everyone else in the Leaf Village, so it was no surprise to her how the man straightened up when he realized the dire situation he was in. Surely he wasn't stupid.

"What business do you have with Konoha, intruder?" she asked, whispering almost intimately into his ear. Her body brushed against his as she tightened her grip on the kunai.

After getting over his shock that he had actually been caught, and so quickly, the man was about to speak, but closed his mouth. How could he explain himself? He had come to see someone who was…important, but would these ANBU understand? He doubted it.

"I have come to speak with someone," was what the missing-nin replied in a deep, confident voice. Truthfully, he had let himself be captured, since he hadn't put up much of a guard. Deep down, maybe this was what needed to happen.

"Konoha does not wish to bargain with dangerous enemies, such as yourself," Shadow Fox hissed. What was this man thinking? He turned his head, as if to glare at her, but her kunai stopped him when she pressed it harder against his neck, once again causing a shallow cut. Another twinge of recognition appeared in the back of her mind. She suddenly wanted to know who this man was.

"Who is it that you would like to speak with? Was it really worth your capture?" Shadow Fox asked in an emotionless tone. At the same time, she maneuvered herself around the missing-nin so that she could see his face. What she saw almost made her lose her grip. Almost.

The man was staring at her with blazing red eyes, eyes that only a select few still possessed. The Sharingan. A kekkai genkai found only in the Uchiha clan. Shadow Fox tensed. Could it be….

"Naruto Uzumaki," he replied. Shadow Fox stopped herself from leaping back just in time, before realizing that he was stating who he wished to speak to, and not calling her name. But…WAIT?! This man wanted to speak with Naruto Uzumaki? That was HER!

Then, everything clicked. The raven hair. The glare. The Sharingan. Him knowing her. This man…he was…

"**Sasuke?!**"


	2. I Want To Talk To You

"_Sasuke?!"_

Shadow Fox's surprise led to her sudden outburst of emotion. She halfheartedly scolded herself- she should know better by now. However, she was much too intent on the man in front of her.

Sasuke Uchiha raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that the ANBU in front of him recognized him at all. "Do I know you?" he asked, peering at her face, trying to glimpse anything familiar behind the fox mask. Shadow Fox could barely move due to her shock, and didn't trust her voice enough to answer. That traitor! After all of these years he's finally come back!!! How dare he! Sure, she was kind of glad, but still furious. Her body shook with anger, and she scolded herself again. Where did all of these emotions come from?

It was in that moment that the rest of her team took action. Hinata and Kiba **(or should I say, Red Wolf and White Doe)** appeared at both of her sides. '_SASUKE!'_ they both thought, though they didn't know whether or not that was a good thing. Kiba, for one, was pissed at him. He had made Naruto sad, for a long time, and she had nearly killed herself many times to get him back. Kiba wanted to kill him, and wondered if that would win him a spot in Naruto's heart. He bit his lip in thought.

Hinata, on the other hand, was feeling mixed emotions. She definitely didn't want to kill Sasuke, but what could they do? Obeying his wishes might make them look weak, which they most certainly were not, but sending him off would work against them as well. She looked to the team leader for guidance.

Naruto just stared at Sasuke. _'How…could…he?'_

She then disregarded his question and said in a formal tone, "Sasuke Uchiha, we will take you into custody. Whatever happens to you will be decided by the Godaime Hokage, Lady Tsunade. Whether she will grant you your wish or kill you on the spot is completely up to her."

Sasuke relaxed, but only slightly when he remembered Tsunade's extreme temper. He wondered who the first ANBU actually was, or if he knew her. When he looked at her eyes, he was surprised to see startlingly blue orbs glaring at him. Those impossibly blue eyes seemed somehow…familiar. However, he didn't let himself dwell on it as the ANBU resumed their emotional masks. The first one, which he assumed was the leader, performed a few lightning-fast hand signs, and wordlessly cast a powerful jutsu.

Naruto had sealed away his chakra, slowed him down physically, and bound his hands behind his behind his back with special chakra wire. '_Sasuke,'_ she thought, '_you are not escaping this time_.' Her unreadable blue eyes flashed menacingly, and then all four shinobi vanished into the night.

* * *

"SASUKE UCHIHA, I WANT SOME ANSWERS DAMMIT!" screamed the Godaime. Tsunade was absolutely **furious** that Sasuke thought he could just waltz back into **her** village like nothing ever happened. _'That traitor!'_ she mentally screamed _'who does he thing he is?!' __**(oh right…the last Uchiha).**_ She then resumed screaming out loud.

"Why, after all of these years, have you come back? WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT? How do you know I won't just kill you right now? Why did you even BOTHER to turn yourself in? You are a missing-nin for God's sake! WHY?" after her rant, Tsunade was still fuming. And the worst thing was that Sasuke was just standing there with that glare on his face the entire time.

After a bit more screaming on Tsunade's part, a lot more glaring on the Uchiha's part, and a lot of _'WTF_'s' on the villagers' part, things calmed down a bit. Tsunade looked at Sasuke expectantly as he opened his mouth.

"It is not for your sake that I return, Tsunade-_sama_," he said coldly, "I wish to speak to someone important and that is all. One of my end goals may be to rejoin this village as a shinobi of the leaf, but I am still debating that myself. I suppose it's the council's decision whether or not that will be an option." He smirked a little at the end, remembering how the council always used to take his side on everything. Sasuke wondered if it would still be that way.

Still glaring daggers at him, Tsunade asked, "And who is it that is so important that you risk your life just to speak to?" She tried to think of some kind of alternate motive he could have for coming here, but nothing was coming immediately to mind.

Unsure if he should answer her or not, Sasuke thought about that for a bit. _'Ugh this freaking Hokage is so damn annoying!_' He rubbed his temples. _'I NEED to speak to Naruto. She's stopped coming after me, and I can't help but wonder __**why**__. Has she given up on me?'_ He felt like something was stabbing his heart. His heart that was not quite as cold as everyone thought._ 'Now that I've killed Orochimaru, I can focus on what I've been harboring for all those years. Before I couldn't handle it, but now I can.'_

(**What, you may ask, is Sasuke thinking about? His love for Naruto, of course :O )**

After a few more seconds of pondering, Sasuke took a deep breath and spoke. "I would like to see Naruto Uzumaki."

There was no way for him to know just how violently Tsunade would react. How could he possibly know that she would throw a chair out her office window and that smoke would practically come out of her ears?

"Now what makes you think that I would possibly let you Naru-chan, after what you've done to her? After you've tried to kill her countless times?" Tsunade's voice was laced with venom. Sasuke knew he would have to be careful from now on. He now recalled how the Godaime treated Naruto as a 'daughter,' although they were not related by blood. Apparently she cared very deeply for Naruto.

"I don't wish to do her any harm, Tsunade. I merely wish to speak with her."

"Why?"

"That's personal. It's none of your business."

"The HELL it is! She is like family to me, and I can't have you running off and trying to corrupt her. For all I know, you could be a spy from the Akatsuki and try to suck the Kyuubi out of Naru-chan! How do I know you weren't sent as an assassin?"

Sasuke was slightly shocked that the women would refuse him so vehemently. He was the last Uchiha for God's sake! He was offering his skills to the village!

"What if I agree to eventually revive my clan within the walls of Konoha?" he asked, trying to calm his anger that was slowly reaching it's boiling point. _This woman is just so unreasonable!_

This silenced the Hokage. She looked at him, staring into the deep obsidian depths of the raven's eyes. A minute passed. And then another minute. Five more minutes passed and she hadn't even blinked. Sasuke was starting to twitch under her ferocious glare.

"Do you promise not to try to hurt Naru-chan?" she suddenly asked, speaking very quietly.

"I promise." He seemed like he really meant it.

"Then fine," she snapped, "I'll call a council meeting and see what their opinion is. Although, when it comes to missing-nins, such as yourself, my vote counts for a lot." _'Those corrupt bastards…_' she trailed off in thought.

The Hokage then came back to reality. "I will assign you two ANBU to guard you at all times. I am confident that they can overpower you and kill you if necessary. Your chakra will be restricted, as it is now, though your physical strength will be returned. We can't have out last Uchiha passing out on the streets, now can we? Oh, and in case I was not clear, if you even THINK about hurting anyone, and I mean ANYONE, the ANBU have orders to kill you immediately. If all goes well, I will consider allowing you to see Naru-chan."

Taking everything in, Sasuke nodded. He was impressed that he actually got somewhere with the old hag. He remembered her as always being drunk from all the sake she had stored away in her office. Maybe things have changed. But, then again, the Hokage was always serious when it came to Naruto, wasn't she?

Tsunade snapped her fingers, and two shinobi poofed silently into the room. One was an ANBU with a fox mask, and the other looked just like any old ninja. That shinobi had unusual pale skin and ink black hair. He actually reminded Sasuke slightly of Orochimaru, which, although he'd never admit it, kind of creeped him out. I mean seriously, what kind of guy wore a shirt that short?

"Sai, you are qualified for this mission, and although you are not an ANBU, I will allow you to participate in it due to your lack of missions at the moment." Sai, the one that Sasuke immediately didn't like, nodded in confirmation. "Oh, and you will be relived tomorrow in time for your mission to Suna." Sai nodded again.

Tsunade then turned to the ANBU. Of course, she knew it was Naruto, but preferred that Sasuke didn't until Naruto felt ready to tell him herself, if she even wanted to. The Godaime had already shared this advice with Naruto, so she only gave her a nod to remind her, instead of communicating verbally. After glancing at all three of the elite shinobi in front of her, Tsunade nodded and dismissed them. She prayed that she wouldn't come to regret this decision. Now, the matter of the council meeting…

* * *

It was now the middle of the day, and word had spread that Sasuke was back. Whether for better or for worse, everyone knew. No one knew if he could or would stay, but many people wished he could. Even after his defection, lots of people still accepted him. He had done everything possible to break the villager's trust in him, yet they continued to love him. Sasuke also remembered how Naruto did everything possible to please the villagers, almost giving up her life many times, and they still hated her for something she had no control over. _'Sometimes life just isn't fair_.'

Cautiously following Sasuke on the streets of Konoha, many emotions were swirling inside of a certain blonde. _'Why did he come back? Why does he want to talk to me?'_ Contrary to the bright and sunny afternoon, inside of Naruto's head was a swirling mass of emotions, like a horrible storm. She found herself glaring at everything and everyone, including the Uchiha. _'How am I supposed to react to him?'_ Since she was still under orders, Naruto didn't have the time to meet up with Sakura and the rest of her friends to discuss Sasuke. She still couldn't believe he was back.

Whether he stayed or not was now up to that council. That damn, brooding council that always had some alternate agenda or goal. That word, brooding, had once been used to describe a certain ex-teammate of hers. Naruto cast her eyes to the ground in an attempt to avoid the assault of those painful memories. But, that didn't stop them.

"_This is the way I want it to be__"_, Sasuke had said. _"__I need this power. With Orochimaru, I'll be able to kill Itachi.__"_ Then, his voice had grown cold and emotionless. _"__Stop trying to compete with me, you were only a tool, a motivation for me to get stronger. I will never come back to Konoha. Stop coming after me, it will only result in your death. Dobe… I never want to see you again. If I do, I will kill you."_

And then, he had walked off, leaving her crying and half dead. Those were the last words he had said to her during her last rescue attempt. Which was two years ago.

Naruto no longer held any kind of false, child-like hope that she could bring the Uchiha back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In some tiny corner of her mind, she had wanted to push a Rasengan into his chest and drag him back to Konoha, bruised and beaten. Did she really want him back, after all the pain he'd caused her? Naruto didn't know what to think. However, she quickly pushed these thoughts into the back of her mind and focused on the duty at hand. Right now, she was Shadow Fox. It was useless getting lost in the past.

Meanwhile, Sai was thinking, trying to reason with himself, and trying to make sense of this event. So, the Uchiha had come back. Huh. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not. He walked a couple steps behind Sasuke, deep in thought but still with his guard up. And then a horrifying thought hit him. _'What if Naruto falls for him? What if she loves him? What if she's in love with him RIGHT NOW?!' _Panicked, he glanced over at Shadow Fox. Sai was one of the few people who knew Naruto's ANBU identity, due to his…history. _'What is she thinking? Will this interfere with my 'plans?' I want Naruto to love ME.'_

Feeling someone's glare on the back of his head, Sasuke turned around. It was that Sai guy. The one who was all creepy looking. He looked to his other side. There was that ANBU…what was her name? He suddenly realized that she was the one who had captured him last night. Wow… she must be strong. Insanely strong. Strong enough to sneak up on a Uchiha with his Sharingan activated without him even noticing. Who _was_ this?

"Hey, ANBU, what's your name?" The disguised ninja looked up, startled for a minute, before they relaxed.

"Shadow Fox." Her reply was simple.

Hmmm…Shadow Fox. So that was her codename. Hn. He wondered what her real name was. Then he thought of something. "Hey… Sai?" The boy looked up and met his eyes. Sai's eyes narrowed with distrust and something else. Hatred, maybe?

"What, Uchiha-san?" Sai asked. He really didn't like this guy.

"Do you know Naruto Uzumaki?" Sasuke saw the boy stiffen at the mention of Naruto's name. Why was that?

"Yes, I know Naru-chan. We're _very_ good friends and spend a lot of time _together_. Why do you want to know?" This time, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Sai smirked.

"Hn," was Sasuke's only reply. Sai chuckled inwardly at his mini victory. This was going to be good. He could almost sense Naruto rolling her eyes behind that fox mask of hers. Which, he had to admit, suited her quite well. As did the ANBU clothes. Now that he thought about it, they really accentuated her…womanly curves. Yes, Naruto had grown into a very beautiful woman over the past few years. Now, at age eighteen, she was purely gorgeous. Not that she'd believe anyone who told her. But still, it was true. Sai promised himself that he would make Naruto his and that he would make that good-for-nothing Uchiha regret the day he first stepped foot out of Konoha. Or stepped foot back in Konoha. It depended how you looked at it.

Now, Sai was not the only one in his own little world. Sasuke was thinking deeply about what that guy had said. He'd said that they were _very_ good friends and that they spent a lot of time _together_. What did that mean? Then it hit him. _'That guy is with Naruto! Like WITH with. He's dating her, isn't he? And he used her nickname, Naru-chan, so he is obviously good friends with her.' _Paranoia began to course through Sasuke. '_Whatever the case, that guy likes Naruto too much. Way too much. I need to get him out of the picture so she can be __**mine**__.'_

_

* * *

  
_

Tsunade had just gotten out of the council meeting. She really didn't have much say at all, and had just wanted to scare the Uchiha bastard. The council had voted that he be allowed to live in Konoha on prohibition. Leaf nin would be with him at all times, and, if all went well, his chakra would gradually be restored. All in all, a very generous offer for a traitor/murderer. There was also some other news that she would inform Naruto and Sai about later. It never failed to annoy her how all that stupid council saw was the Uchiha heir. No matter what he did, they always preferred him. She shook her head, idly wondering how Naruto was fairing.


	3. You've Been Here The Whole Time!

**[Various parts of Konoha]**

Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata were having a very colorful conversation regarding Sasuke. It was all about trying to decide whether they were glad he was back or not. Sakura had once had a strong crush on Sasuke when they were kids, but that had worn off soon after he left Konoha, and she saw how cruel he was to his friends. Ino still has some feelings for Sasuke that had reawakened and she was wondering if it was too early to try to talk to him. Tenten didn't know Sasuke all that well, but didn't particularly trust him. She was good friends with Naruto and knew how much he had hurt her, intentionally or not.

While all of this was being discussed, Hinata was slightly zoned out, thinking back to the events of last night. _'He said he wanted to speak with Naru-chan. He said that was the only reason he'd come back here at all. Wow, Sasuke really did sound a bit desperate out there. Just how badly did he want to see Naruto, and for what reason?_' Hinata pondered all of this silently, reverting back to her old introvert habits.

* * *

Meanwhile, Neji and Kiba were eating lunch at Naruto's favorite ramen stand, both trying to get used to ramen so that they could eat there every time Naruto went out without complaining. Truthfully, they were just Naruto's fanboys. Yes, Naruto had fanboys. She'd had them for the past two years, ever since she'd turned sixteen and became not only extremely strong, but extremely beautiful as well.

"Hey Neji-kun, what do you think about that Sasuke-bastard returning to Konoha?" Kiba asked, a blend of annoyance and anger in his tone.

Neji was completely outraged at the Uchiha's return. Sasuke coming back meant more competition for Naruto's love. He even had fangirls back before he left. Hell, he probably still had fangirls now. Wait… was Naruto one of his fangirls back then? Panicked, Neji frantically thought back a few years. Luckily, he didn't remember her showing any particular interest in Sasuke. However, being Neji, he didn't show this. He answered Kiba with an "I'm not really sure. I just don't think he should be here."

Kiba nodded, as he shared many of the same thoughts. He recalled last night and thought about Naruto's reaction. She was truly _shocked_ when she found out Sasuke had come to see her. But, he hadn't been able to sense if she was happy about that or not. Come to think of it, he hadn't even spoken to her since then. Hmmmm.

* * *

It was a couple hours later and a different ANBU had taken Naruto's place as Sasuke's guard, giving her time off. After returning to ANBU headquarters and changing back to her everyday clothes, Naruto decided to train. Training always helped her to think things through or to just get her mind off of everything around her. With a sigh, Naruto walked down a random street and began to zone out. She felt almost drained of emotion.

A short while later, Naruto looked up surprise. The blonde kunoichi's feet had carried her to the old Team Seven training grounds, seemingly of their own accord. This was unexpected. With another sigh **(Naruto never sighs this much!)**, she began to stretch her muscles and prepare for some much-needed training.

A couple minutes later, a distinct cry of "RASENGAN!" could be heard around the village. Some of the villagers looked up, but then went back to their everyday business when they realized who it was. Naruto was now a hero to them, and so they no longer hated her for being the container of the Kyuubi. She was actually quite popular among the Konoha citizens. They were now used to her loud shouts and knew it meant she was training, and so didn't think much of it.

Naruto trained for a good two hours before she felt that must of her frustration has dissipated. Panting, she surveyed the surrounding area. Many of the trees had been knocked down, and most of the ground was covered in large swirl-like marks. It looked like some kind of battle had taken place here. _'Maybe I got just a little carried away....'_

_

* * *

  
_

**[The next day]**

Finally, it was the day of the mission to Suna. Sai was ecstatic. Finally, Sasuke would be out of the picture and it would be just him and Naruto for two weeks straight. Thank God. Sai couldn't wait. He had some _things_ planned for Naruto during this trip. By the time they returned to Konoha, she would be his girlfriend.

Naruto **(still dressed as Shadow Fox) **and Sai reported to Tsunade, dragging Sasuke along since they had not yet been relieved of their duties. As they stepped into their office, everyone immediately noticed how Tsunade's eyes never wavered from Sasuke's. Something important had obviously been decided at the council meeting.

Sasuke was tense. He didn't know what the verdict was, and that unknown fact bothered him. He had to talk to Naruto. Sasuke glared at nothing.

"Sasuke-san." Tsunade began.

"Hn." Was the only reply.

"The council has voted and they have reached the decision that you will be allowed to stay in Konoha for the time being." She then explained all of the details of the council's verdict and all of the conditions that applied. Except for one.

"However, a change has been made to your mission today, Sai, Shadow Fox." Sasuke quickly glanced at his two escorts out of the corner of his eye. What did their Suna mission have to do with _him_? Before she continued, however, Tsunade wanted to do one thing.

"Sasuke, this…change permits your request to be granted. You may speak with Naruto Uzumaki. Actually, you'll be seeing a lot of her. Shadow Fox…please remove your mask."

Sasuke was filled with relief at the council's decision; they had not failed him yet. However, what was the old lady Hokage playing at when she asked the ANBU that had been guarding him all day to remove her mask. Weren't their identities supposed to be kept a secret?

With a sigh, Shadow Fox removed her mask and unraveled her disguise. As the fox mask slid off of her face, it revealed bright, cerulean blue eyes that one could lose themselves in. Her cheeks each had three whisker-like marks on them. The ANBU woman had long, erratic blonde hair that was so bright it could only belong to one person. Sasuke's eyes grew wider and wider. The ANBU then formed a hand sign, and her whole uniform vanished, revealing her unique ninja outfit. She was wearing a red dress that had two slits near her thighs, and was wearing white shorts underneath that went to her knee. She wore a kunai pouch, and also a green stone necklace. Sasuke gasped** (Finally- some emotion!)**. The beautiful woman standing before him…was Naruto. Naruto had been with him for the past two days.

"...Naru?"


	4. She's Mine

It took Sasuke a while to get over the initial shock, and even longer for his heart rate to finally return to normal. They were still in the Hokage's office, staring. Tsunade was staring at Sasuke, carefully reading his reaction. Sasuke was staring wide-eyed at Naruto, trying to make sense of the situation and think of what to say. The shock had made his mind go completely blank. Naruto was staring at Sasuke, also gauging his reaction, trying to read his emotions through his eyes. And Sai, who was never that great with hidden emotions anyway, was just staring at Naruto. **Obviously.**

After a few more minutes of intense staring, Tsunade broke the silence. "Naruto-chan and Sai, I would like to inform you that Sasuke will be joining you on your mission to Suna. For two weeks, you will be acting as a three-man** (or woman)** squad. The council thinks this will be the best way to gauge Sasuke's abilities and see how well he works as a team."

Sai's jaw dropped. _'Whhat?! Sasuke's coming with us? Coming with ME and NARU? No way!!!'_ he thought in dismay. Suddenly determined not to show how upset he was, Sai quickly closed his mouth.

Sasuke, eyes still glued to Naruto, smirked. Looks like it'd be just him and her for two weeks. Oh, and that Sai guy. Which reminded him....Sasuke looked at the Godaime. "Do I really need two babysitters? It'd be fine with just Naruto and I."

Sai was fuming now. This guy wanted alone time with Naruto, that was it. _'Sasuke likes Naruto doesn't he? She must be the only reason he came back. I'll make him wish he never came back at all!'_

Naruto really didn't display too much emotion, but it looked like she sort of…smiled?! '_I guess the old teme's back.'_

Tsunade glared at Sasuke. "I have assigned all three of you, and that is final. You will NOT argue with my decision. The three of you are to depart in one hour."

**[59 minutes later]**

Naruto and Sai were standing near Konoha's gates, waiting for Sasuke. Sai was still pissed about having to share his 'Naruto time,' and Naruto was still deep in thought. Luckily, Sasuke's arrival snapped her out of it.

"It's about time you're here, Sasuke-teme," she said, not betraying too much emotion.

"Hn," was all he said, for lack of a better word. Inside , however, he was pleased to hear her use his old nickname. He knew that Naruto understood his grunts completely, and was glad because it almost seemed like a little inside joke. He felt like he had a point against that Sai guy now. Sasuke walked up and stood next to her.

"I'm here now. Let's go." He said this and slightly brushed her arm with his own. Naruto didn't seem to mind the contact.

Sai just glared at him. Then, they left for Suna without another word.

They had been traveling for hours without stopping. The group was about halfway to Suna now, as they had made excellent timing. Three elite jounin- level shinobi is most likely what did the trick. However, it was getting dark, and so they decided to make camp.

Half an hour later, Naruto, Sai, and Sasuke were sitting around a small fire, and two tents had been set up near them. They ate in silence, until Sasuke **(surprisingly)** spoke up.

"Naru-chan, I wanted to talk to you." He tested out the familiar suffix, hoping that she didn't have a negative reaction

Naruto looked up. There was some sort of emotion in her eyes, but then she blinked and it was gone. "Well, this seems to be as good of a place as any," she said, unsure of what was to come.

Sasuke's eyes flicked to Sai. "Alone," he hissed.

"Whatever you want to say to me can be said in front of Sai-kun, as far as I'm concerned," was what the stubborn kunoichi replied. Sai's mood brightened considerably. Sasuke's darkened.

Sasuke was now getting annoyed. "Look, Naru-chan, the whole reason I came to Konoha was to talk to you, as you know, since you were the one who caught me in the forest!"

Sai looked at Naruto with interest. To Sasuke's dismay, Naruto did not show any sign of moving, nor did Sai. "Come on dobe," Sasuke said, using Naruto's old nickname as he grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. Their eyes met, black meeting blue. Night meeting day.

Sai angrily stood up and pushed in between the two. "Sasuke! Don't touch Naru-chan!" he said fiercely. He would not let this bastard come between him and his love. That was for sure.

Sasuke growled at him in return. "I'll do whatever I want , creepy little kid. Now leave us alone." He sent Sai the famous Uchiha glare.

Thoroughly pissed now, Sai shook his head. He decided to take it a step further. He put an arm around Naruto's shoulders, trying to pass it off as a gesture of comfort. He also moved them a couple steps back from the angry Uchiha. Naruto relaxed into it, and Sai looked extremely satisfied with himself. This only made Sasuke angrier. "Naru!" he hissed.

She looked up, eyes brimming with emotion. He could see sadness, betrayal, hope, and even anger in the depths of her blue oceans. Sasuke felt horrible when he saw tears forming in her eyes. Seeing their eyes connect, Sai took it upon himself to step in. Again. Still between them, he wrapped Naruto in a hug that held a slightly possessive edge to it. Sasuke gritted his teeth. Naruto was getting slightly uncomfortable now, and was confused by Sai's actions. She broke the embrace and looked at Sasuke, before saying, "All right teme. Let's go."

And much to Sai's annoyance, Naruto and Sasuke walked off into the forest with each other. Alone. His hands balled into fists. Sasuke was _not_ going to steal his girl. Sasuke looked back to smirk at Sai, before brushing against Naruto's arm again.

Once they were a good distance into the forest, some of Naruto's tears spilled over. "Sasuke, why did you leave? Why did you leave and not come back until now?" she asked as the salty liquid ran down her face.

The sight of her crying nearly broke his heart. "Look, Naru, I…I needed to get stronger. I needed to learn everything I could from Orochimaru, and I was determined to get power from him. But, whether you think so or not, I'm not evil. I killed Orochimaru after I had learned everything I could from him to make the world safer. To protect _you_. After I killed Itachi-onii-san, I realized that my life suddenly seemed so…dull." Sasuke now found himself struggling for words. Naruto looked shocked at his words. She had not heard him say this much in a very long time.

"I realized that I felt like I was missing something, someone. Naru-chan, I was missing you." Naruto's eyes widened, and she gasped.

"Y-you wanted m-me?" she sputtered. _'No one has ever said that to me before.'_

"Naru-chan, I know this may be hard to believe, but I loved you from the very beginning. It was only after you stopped coming after me that I realized what I was missing. It was you, Naruto. You're very presence, that air of happiness you always carry around with you, I missed that. I felt horrible about what I'd said and knew that the only way I'd be able to talk to you would be if I returned to Konoha, which I did. Naruto, I did this for you."

Naruto was shaking. She didn't know what to think. Her blue eyes were swimming with liquid and her cheeks were stained with tears. He…cared about her? Sasuke cared about her? She couldn't believe it. "Sasuke, you did all of this for me? You came back for me?" Her voice came out in a whisper.

The Sharingan wielder nodded. For once in his life, he seemed truly and genuinely sincere. **(Well this is different than you expected, isn't it =] )**

"S-Sasuke, I'm going to need some time to think this over. But, for now, although I'm not sure what I think about everything you've said, I think I'm ready to start to try to forgive you. You have caused me pain in the past, but only you can heal those wounds."

Sasuke smiled. He really smiled. Not smirked, smiled. He looked like an angel. "Naru…." he said, and stepped toward her. Naruto's breath caught in her throat. Sasuke then wrapped his arms around her. Naruto's eyes widened. Sasuke was…hugging her? It was a long embrace. Sasuke smiled into her hair. "Naru-chan," Sasuke said again, "I'm so sorry. For everything." Naruto sobbed into his chest.

"Sasuke...-kun, I've missed you too," she said. Then, she pulled back and looked into his dark eyes. "It's nice to have my teme back." **(Yes, that's right- 'her' teme. He wasn't teme to anyone else, was he?)**

Surprise flitted across Sasuke's face. He was really happy now. _'Naruto...called me 'kun? And did she just call me __**her**__ teme? She thinks of me as hers? =]_' And then their eyes met again and they were lost in old memories, the days when a happy Team Seven still existed.

Sai was currently watching everything from his hiding spot in a tree. His lips were pressed into a thin line. Sasuke was hugging Naruto. He watched how Naruto, in her weakened state, didn't resist, and actually leaned into his chest. What should he do? What _could_ he do? Suddenly unsure of himself, Sai fled soundlessly back to their temporary camp once they broke the embrace.

Sasuke just stared into Naruto's eyes, took her hand, and led her back to the campsite. As they passed a certain tree, Sasuke's sharp eyes drifted to the spot where Sai had concealed himself moments ago. The ghost of a satisfied grin formed on his face.

* * *

The rest of their travels to Suna went by fairly smoothly. They had encountered an overly cocky bandit who thought he could take Naruto on one-on-one, but she had laughed in his face. Before he could even blink, the blonde appeared next to the bandit and hit **(or should I say 'bitch-slapped')** him in the face, which sent him flying into a rock. He didn't get up from the crumbling boulder. Naruto grinned. Sai and Sasuke sweat-dropped.

_'That was…impressive,'_ Sasuke had thought.

_'Wow, Naruto, you are even faster than I remembered_,' thought Sai. He returned her grin.

However, something kept bothering Sai. Ever since Sasuke and Naruto had returned to the camp last night, something seemed different between them. Sasuke would occasionally put an arm over her shoulder or walk closely to her, and it didn't seem to bother her at all. But, it really bothered Sai. He watched this with an expressionless face. _'Should Naruto really be getting that comfortable with the Uchiha?'_

Naruto liked Sasuke's little gestures of friendship. Or, at least that's what she thought they were. She acted like this with all of her male friends, so it didn't bother her in the least. Naruto was just blissfully happy to have all of Team Seven back together.

Sasuke was extremely satisfied with his progress with Naruto. She didn't seem to mind it whenever he touched her, and he liked that. He noticed how Sai got uncomfortable whenever he had his arm around her shoulder, or brushed the hair from her face. He smirked inwardly at that.

They were almost to Suna now, and the team was taking a quick break. Naruto and Sai were leaning against one boulder, and Sasuke was leaning against another. They were already in the desert, and it was getting how. All three of them were drinking what was left of the water they had brought. Sai finally decided to speak.

"Naru-chan," he said. Naruto looked up. Sasuke was sitting a little ways away from them and couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Yes, Sai-kun?"

"Look, Naru-chan. I really don't think that you should…be so… close to that Uchiha," Sai muttered, struggling for the right words.

"What? Why?" Naruto asked, slightly taken aback.

"It's just that most of the female population of Konoha is in love with him and you could get hurt if he was your friend. Not to mention his history with Orochimaru. Who knows what that man has done to him? Face it, Naruto, Sasuke is dangerous. You'll only get hurt if you're around him."

Naruto's eyes widened a little as she absorbed what Sai had said. He was right, and she knew that. _'Sai's a good friend, he's just trying to help. I don't want to stay away from Sasuke though. I like being around him, it reminds me of days when I was just a carefree genin._' She cast a sidelong glance as Sasuke.

"You're right Sai-kun. But, he's my friend now, and I don't know what I'm going to do. I guess I'll just be extra careful." Sai's words didn't have quite the impacted that he wanted, but he was glad that he'd said something. _'Naru, soon you'll realize that I'm the one you were meant to be with.'_

Meanwhile, Sasuke was discreetly watching the two. He hated how Sai was always so close to dug his hands into the sand in annoyance. _'She's mine.'_

* * *

Suna could now be seen in the distance. The sun was beating down on the leaf-nins hard, and although they were almost at their destination, each of them was very tired. Much to his pleasure, Sai noticed Naruto hadn't said a word to Sasuke since they had spoken. Much to his displeasure, Sasuke noticed the same thing. _'What did he say to her?'_

Sasuke dropped back and ran in line with Sai. Their formation now had Naruto in the lead and the two dark-haired shinobi behind her. Sasuke glared at Sai, and Sai glared back. The raven slowed down, and Sai slowed down too, seeming to get the message. They were now a good distance behind Naruto, but still close enough to protect her if they were to encounter an enemy.

"What do you think you're doing you bastard," was Sasuke's polite **(*cough cough*)** way of starting the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Sai asked, his smile so fake that it made Sasuke want to slap it right off of his face.

"You know exactly what I mean. Stop trying to put false ideas in Naru's head. I came back for her. She means a lot to me. And, here you are, trying to pull her away."

Sai's smile evaporated. His face contorted into a heated glare, one that could rival the famous Uchiha glare**(TM)**. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, Sai, I do. I've known Naru-chan for much longer than you, so BACK OFF." Sasuke's reply was laced with venom.

Sai glared at him again. The phrase 'if looks could kill' ran through the Uchiha's head. "Don't try to twist her emotions with that corrupted mind of yours. Face it- Naru-chan is mine." And as if his own words comforted him, Sai smiled. It was a sick smile in Sasuke's mind. "Look, I know you think every single girl out there is falling for you, but it's not true. Naruto never saw you as anything more than a friend, if she even saw you as that. Naru-chan and I are so close that we're practically dating. We spend lots of time together, and I'm beginning to think that it's turning into something a little bit bigger than friendship."

Sasuke gritted his teeth at Sai's words. Unfortunately, Sasuke had no idea if he was just exagerrating the truth or not. This was definitely one of the downfalls of leaving Konoha. "Don't take advantage of her kind attitude. Don't read too much into what she says because she's just naturally a nice person. If you hurt her, I swear-"

Sasuke's words were cut off by Sai's almost sinister cackle. "Me? Hurt her?! Have you lost your mind, Uchiha? You were the one who left, you were the one who abandoned her for all those years! You were the one that punched a hole in her heart, figuratively speaking, and shoved a Chidori through her chest, literally speaking! **I** would never hurt Naruto Uzumaki. I love her."

Those words...they hurt. Sasuke felt them pierce his heart, as if he was being tormented in the Tsukuyomi by Itachi. Only this was worse because it was real. _'And...and the worst part is that it's true. I did do those things to her.'_ Sasuke almost shook with self-hatred. But then...no. He steeled himself against any negative emotion._ 'I can not let this Sai guy get to me like this. I am the last loyal Uchiha **(kind of)** for God's sake, so I can, by birthright, annoy the hell out of people._'

Sasuke suddenly felt a red haze around his vision and was surprised to discover that he had unintentionally activated his Sharingan. His clan's bloodline must have been more connected with his emotions than he thought. Sasuke turned to face Sai, his eyes now blood red. With a glare that no one before him had ever managed to pull off, he hissed, with an almost bloodthirsty edge to his voice, "Stay. Away. From. Naru. She is mine," and then sped off towards Naruto. If anyone had been watching Sai, they would have been able to tell that he was visibly shaken, no matter how well he tried to hide it. The ink-haired shinobi looked up towards Sasuke and Naruto's gradually shrinking forms, and then started to gain speed. His hands clutched into fists. Horror, fear, and fury were visible in Sai's dark eyes for only a few moments before he closed them off to the outside world. When his eyes reopened, all that was visible was the reserved dullness of determination within their black depths.

* * *

An hour later, they were standing at the gates of Suna. The Hidden Sand Village was really quiet beautiful, even to an outsider. Light brown walls of sand formed a strong yet magestic shell around the city, like a mother fox curling her tail protectively around her kits. The bright sun shone brilliantly down on the walls, making the sand look like shimmering gold. The blonde jounin that stood facing the city smiled. Her two companions landed beside her. _'Well, it looks like we're finally here.'_


End file.
